


Through the years

by TVgirll1971



Category: Whiskey Cavalier (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:07:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27272416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TVgirll1971/pseuds/TVgirll1971
Summary: My take on how Will and Frankie's relationship would go throughout the series.
Relationships: Will Chase/Frankie Trowbridge
Comments: 3
Kudos: 5





	Through the years

**Year One**

Will thought about the first time they met. He didn’t like her. Well, he did up until the moment she used that flash bomb and handcuffed him to bar. Soon after, he found out she was CIA. Of course, she was. It was typical CIA—no respect for protocol or inter-agency cooperation. No--just steamroll ahead no matter what. All that mattered was the mission. Her mission was to apprehend a mole. Did his civil rights matter? Of course not. This woman—impulsive, harsh, unyielding—was classic CIA. He couldn’t stand her—then she got stabbed. He had to save her—that’s what any decent human would to. She probably wouldn’t but—like he said. However, there was that moment when she was on the table. She wasn’t this cold-hearted agent—she was scared, terrified. For the first time, he saw her humanity. 

Then she became his partner. He didn’t want it. The woman was unstable, unpredictable, she had no business leading a team—let alone not with him. Those first two missions seem to bear that out. The woman had no clue what it meant to be part of a team. For goodness sake, her solution to a training exercise was to let Standish die. Who does that? What kind of person puts the mission above human life like that? Of course, that shouldn’t have surprised him—the woman used to be an assassin. He couldn’t believe it. He’d heard of the CIA recruiting assassins but thought maybe it was just myth. Nope it was true. So, not only was the woman impulsive and cold hearted but she apparently had no moral character.

And yet—she did. He saw it in that vault in Prague. Water rushing in, they were about to die and she gives him this pep talk. He felt so stupid for trusting Karen. Frankie could have easily laid into him for being an idiot—but she actually told him that his big heart was not necessarily his worst quality. She seemed to actually admire his capacity to lead people by respect. But what really sealed the deal was them defusing the bomb together in Rome. She could reach the wires, but couldn’t see them, which meant Will had to be her eyes. For the first time since France, she looked so vulnerable. From almost the moment they met, they were on opposite sides—even as partners. She was an obstacle. However, that changed in Rome. Defusing that bomb together—it was the first time he realized how beautiful she was.

Her opinion of him seemed to be softening as well, especially when she opened up to him at that mission in southern France. She actually told him about her past-without ANY prompting from him! It was huge. This was the woman who said they’d never be family and yet she put her guard down enough to tell him a little about herself. He realized what he began to suspect about her was true. She did have a heart. She wasn’t this unfeeling woman who cared about the mission and nothing else. This woman was complex. She was a bundle of contradictions and he wanted to find out more about her. During that mission, he could actually see himself falling for her. That was before he found out she seduced that guard for information. Sure, he did make a bigger deal of it than he should have but he was still raw from the Gigi/Ray thing. He couldn’t let himself get hurt like that again. Did Frankie seem to be the kind of woman he could have a relationship with? Yes. Unfortunately, she also seemed like the type who’d break his heart in an instant. Like he told her—he didn’t feel safe with her.

Apparently, she felt the same way since she explicitly told him that what they do is too important to mess up. So, they remained friends for the rest of that year. And Frankie was a good friend. She counseled him when he seemed to be making mistakes with Emma and she totally talked him down when he was about to enact cold hearted revenge on the man Will thought had killed Emma. She was so different the second half of that year—she was more open around him. She was comfortable enough to tease him mercilessly, which if he was being honest with himself, he kind of liked. He realized what he saw in France was real. She wasn’t just this cold hearted, mission-at-all-costs, agent. She had layers to her. Sure, on the outside, she was tough, but on the inside—there was this softness that he just loved seeing. 

By the end of that year, they became so close that they started hanging out together before and after missions. It all began after that mission in Connecticut when he met her former guardian, Kelly. Frankie actually invited him to go out to eat at a restaurant with her after the mission. Soon, them eating together became a little tradition. He was amazed at how comfortable she seemed around him. 

Then they kissed in Prague. It was Fate, definitely. He was just standing there admiring the view, eating his pastry and there she was—right there in front of him! It was almost like he willed her into existence. The way she looked up at him, that soft smile on her face. She looked so different than the night they first met. There was a to softness her that he just found so appealing. He thought about that day in France when she impulsively kissed him as a mission distraction, he thought about all those times they were in tight quarters together, he thought about all the times she smiled at him and teased him, he thought about how he just wanted to devour her with kisses when they were on mission in Romania. He held her gaze and she wasn’t looking away so Will decided to lean in for the kiss. He proceeded slowly because he figured she’d back away. But she didn’t. She just stood there as if she wanted him to kiss her. So, he did. 

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**Year Two**

That kiss that started out so splendidly, was unfortunately interrupted by Ollerman’s goons who just happened to find the pair and attacked them. Then afterwards, they received word that Standish had been stabbed. Needless to say, that kiss was put on the back burner until they were safely back in New York and knew that Standish was going to be okay. When they finally were able to talk about it, Frankie reverted back to the “what we do is too important” argument, which frankly, Will didn’t agree with. He saw no reason why they couldn’t be partners personally as well as professionally. In fact, he thought being in a relationship would benefit their professional partnership. Frankie disagreed. Though disappointed, Will respected that because even though he disagreed, she did have a valid argument. Missions have gone south due to people being emotionally involved. Will always thought that was due to the personal failing of the couple and not the relationship itself, but he respected Frankie enough to back off. 

Which made HER throwing herself on HIM so surprising. They were just having a friendly little sparring match when she tackled him to the ground. After the take down, Frankie laid on top of him a little longer than necessary. Then to his utter shock, she kissed him! He couldn’t believe it. Even more surprising was her reaction. He expected her to back off and say it could never happen again. No, she actually admitted that she had feelings for him and was willing to see where things went. There was just one catch—it had a stay a secret. She definitely was not ready for the team to find out about them. Will didn’t care. All he wanted was to be with Frankie. Sure, he didn’t want to keep it secret forever, but he respected her feelings. Their time together was amazing. Being with her was just as incredible as he thought it’d be. As hard as she seemed sometimes on the job, when they were alone together—she was so warm, so soft. That is until they made love, then a tigress came out. He was right about her—she had so many layers to her. But his favorite was the side she showed him—that passionate side. He told her once that she had the capacity to feel and he was right. She felt so deeply and he loved the parts she reserved just for him. 

Despite almost getting caught a few times, they successfully kept their relationship a secret for four months. Until, none other than Frankie outed them. Will was assigned to meet Ollerman alone. Things went sideways and Will was out of touch for several hours. Frankie was so freaked out that the second Will returned to the Dead Drop, she put any semblance of secrecy aside and immediately threw her arms around Will in a hug and kissed him furiously. Not only that—she told him she loved him in front of the whole team. Their relationship definitely wasn’t a secret after that. As great as the previous months were, those next two months were amazing. To be able to go out in public, with no fear of running into anybody—it was such a weight off Will’s shoulders. He could be as flirty as he wanted to any time. Sure, Frankie got a little embarrassed when he did it in front of the team, but he loved her. He loved her so much—he just had to show it. Their relationship was completely out in the open and there was nothing to fear. 

Unfortunately, Will was wrong. As amazing as their relationship was, there were some missteps mission-wise. On more than one occasion, Will or Frankie put the mission in jeopardy because they were too worried about the other. Thankfully, everything turned out alright. That is until the last mission of the year, where they lost their lead on Ollerman because Frankie hesitated just a little too long. 

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**Year Three**

After that, Frankie decided that she was right—romantic relationships compromise missions. To say Will took it badly was an understatement. He just knew that she was wrong. He’d always believed in true love. Well, he was convinced that Frankie was his. Plus, he never subscribed to the notion that partners should not be romantically involved. He never understood that. Partners are supposed to have each other backs, to be there for one another. Well, who better to do that than someone who loves you? Did they have some kinks to work out so they wouldn’t let their feelings distract them from missions? Of course, but that was no reason to give up. Only cowards give up and that’s what she was being—a big coward. Of course, the more he begged her to stay, the more annoyed she got with him. She wanted a nice clean breakup so they could get back to normal. The more she resisted, the angrier he got. The angrier he got, the more he lashed out. Was he being petty? Perhaps, but frankly he didn’t care. All he cared about was the fact that woman he thought was brave was actually a coward.

Then she started seeing Jake. Will couldn’t stand him at first--this tall, handsome GI. Will was supposed to be the tall, handsome GI who won her heart. Not this guy. Seeing Frankie around Jake made Will so angry. The way she smiled at him. Will had to work hard to earn her smiles and here she was giving them to this guy for free! He seethed seeing her around Jake. It got worse when Will overheard Frankie agree to go on a date with him. A date? It was over a year before Will took Frankie out on a date and she agrees to go out with someone she’d only met a week ago? Angry and jealous, Will got drunk and did something stupid—he pounded on Frankie’s door demanding to talk to her. That was the last straw for Frankie who informed him that if he couldn’t accept their break-up, she couldn’t be his partner any more.

That was the wake-up call Will needed. Faced with the option of never seeing Frankie again, Will decided he had to move on. Yes, he still loved her but the thought of losing her completely as a friend hurt him more. So, he decided to follow the advice he’d given to others—he pushed through his feelings. That meant accepting Frankie and Jake. Which wasn’t too hard—Jake was a good guy and Frankie deserved happiness. Will remembered how happy he was with Emma before she died. Frankie deserved that happiness too. He also remembered what a good friend Frankie was when he was with Emma. She was so supportive—coaching him through his insecurities when Emma was with Ray, helping him understand why Emma was upset to be put on the Spain mission. She was a good friend so Will decided he had to return the favor because despite what happened between them,, Will still liked to think of Frankie as his friend.

In the end, Jake ended up moving to Chicago after being promoted and Frankie decided that the life she had with the team was more important to her than being with Jake. Will did sincerely feel bad for Frankie. She did deserve to be happy. He knew there was someone out there for her. He used to believe it was him, but obviously, he was wrong. However, he did believe she deserved to find true love. 

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**Year Four**  


The next year started out messy. The Trust had been gaining ground lately which pointed to them getting information from inside the FBI. So, the team was tasked with finding the identity of the mole. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done and their early efforts went nowhere. Sure, there were some promising leads, and some arrests were made but they ended up being red herrings. Weeks went by and the team was no closer to finding the mole’s identity than they were when they started. The failure frustrated the entire team. Frustrated most of all were Will and Frankie who would both form new friendships.

Will met Katherine. Blonde and perky, Katherine was the mirror image of Will in personality. Will immediately liked her. She was friendly, outgoing, talkative, optimistic. They were totally in sync. The person who didn’t like her was Frankie which was absurd. Her reason? She thought Katherine was too friendly. Will couldn’t understand that. How can you be *too* friendly? The only thing he could think of was Frankie was jealous, which to Will was equally absurd. She told him last year they didn’t work as a couple. She doesn’t get to break his heart then find fault with the person he’s dating. He took the high road with Jake, the least she could do is return the favor. Ultimately, Frankie decided that Will was right. Since she had no good reason not to trust Katherine, she put her distrust aside and supported the relationship. Will could tell it was a struggle for her, but she was making an effort and he sincerely appreciated that.

At the same time, Frankie made her first real friend outside the team—Gail. A DEA agent who shared Frankie’s love of the shooting range, Frankie and Gail immediately hit it off. There was just so much about Gail that Frankie liked—she was smart, easy going, she loved weapons and had a ton of great stories about drug busts. She was so fun and cool that Frankie didn’t have any qualms about inviting her up to her apartment. Frankie hadn’t felt this at ease around someone so quickly since she met Susan. She and Gail were just totally in sync. 

Unfortunately, Frankie ended up being right about Katherine--sort of. While Katherine wasn’t the mole they’d been looking for, she was definitely working for the Trust. That revelation hit Will like a ton of bricks. All his life, he believed in seeing the good in people, then he finds out his girlfriend is a common criminal. It sickened him and he was ready to just close himself off. After all, he’d already been burned once with Gigi, now Katherine. He was beginning to wonder what the point was of trusting people. Frankie, of all people, reminded him. As she had a few years earlier in Prague, she informed him that his big heart was one of his best qualities. Her encouragement stopped him from closing himself off. Will was so touched by her comments, that he wanted to kiss her right here. Thankfully, Frankie’s wiser head prevailed. Jumping directly into a relationship with Frankie immediately after Katherine—that wouldn’t have been healthy. So, they resolved to be friends. 

Frankie would need a friend within a few weeks--for the elusive mole was none other than Frankie’s new best friend, Gail. Not only was Gail the FBI mole, she purposely ingratiated herself with Frankie in order to get information on the team’s movements. For the first time in her life, Frankie was totally played! The revelation left Frankie questioning her judgement. She always felt she had a healthy suspicion of people and yet she totally got fooled. A part of her seriously considered closing herself off again, especially around new people. Then Will reminded her of the advice she gave him after he found out about Katherine. She had warned him not to use Katherine as an excuse to close himself off so Will told her she should follow her own advice. Will's talk forced her to remember what a lone wolf she was before they met and she realized, despite what happened, she didn't really want to go back to that. 

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**Year Five**

Frankie sat in a hospital, in Istanbul, waiting for word on Will. The mission had gone sideways and he’d been shot. She thought back to when she first met him. She didn’t like him. He was one of those cookie-cutter, Dudley Doright FBI types. So self-righteous and bogged down by procedures. Plus, he was way too soft. She wondered how he even became an FBI agent. She soon found out that while he may be soft, he was also tough! The way he fought her and stuffed her into that trunk. Okay, he was not cookie cutter FBI. He was good! Early that first year, she didn’t know what to make of him. He wore his heart WAY too much on his sleeve—talking about family, getting sappy about the silliest things. The man was such a dork! Yet, that wasn’t all he was. He was also smart, brave, and the way he handled a weapon? There was nothing dorky about that. He was this bundle of contradictions—soft yet tough at the same time. Will was literally like no man she’d ever met and she found herself enjoying his company. However, they were partners and Frankie had always been a firm believer that the personal and professional don’t mix. What happened when they first got together bore that out. Yes, being with him had been great but it also compromised missions and what they did was too important for that.

However, it didn’t seem very important now. All that mattered now was that Will had survived the surgery and was going to be alright. As she sat there on the edge of his hospital bed and watched him sleep, she thought about how scared she was earlier. The fear that she might never see him again—she didn’t remember anything scaring her that much. For the past five years, she’d taken for granted that he’d always be there. After all, he was her rock, her beacon of light in the darkness. As she sat there fingering his hair, Will woke up. Frankie flashed Will one of her brightest smiles, relieved that he was going to be okay. 

Afterwards, Frankie talked to Susan about her feelings—specifically her feelings for Will. A part of her wanted to confess to him how scared she’d been when he was in surgery. A part of her wanted to tell him how much she cared for him. Yet, a part of her was worried. They’d been down that road before years ago. While Frankie had to admit that those six months with Will had been amazing, the fallout was rough and she couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t break Will’s heart again. The truth was-- they were still partners and the work they did was still dangerous. Frankie admitted that while she would like to try things again, what if it went south just like last time? Though Susan encouraged Frankie to talk to Will about her feelings, Frankie decided to keep quiet because being with Will worried her. She wasn’t worried so much about the mission this time though; she was more worried about breaking Will’s heart again. They were in a great place now and she didn’t want to ruin it.

So, for the rest of that year it was business as usual and the team’s hard work finally paid off when the Trust was destroyed and Ollerman was six feet under. With the Trust gone, Director Casey decided the team was no longer needed and they all received new assignments. While excited for her new assignment in Europe, Frankie did feel a pang of sadness. Despite what she thought five years ago, she really was going to miss this team—especially Will. 

As she stood there in her apartment thinking about Will, suddenly she heard a knock and who should be there but the man himself? To her utter surprise, Will declared his love for her and got down on one knee. As she heard his marriage proposal, a wave of emotion tore through Frankie. That emotion, as she accepted his proposal, was total happiness.

**Author's Note:**

> Scott Foley said, in an interview, that Will/Frankie would be on-again, off-again. I've always wondered how that would work since I don't personally like that formula. It leads to couples breaking up too many times and just seems unrealistic and tiresome. So, I thought to myself how would it go? What I came up with is not a true on-again, off-again but like I said, I'm not fond of that formula. I personally like the will-they, won't they a lot better. So, I came up with a hybrid.
> 
> Frankie inviting Will to dinner after the Connecticut mission occurred in my fic "Dinners Between Partners" The idea that their dinners became a tradition came from "What Comes After" by Huntress87.
> 
> Their first kiss being interrupted by Ollerman's goons in Prague came from "What Comes After" by Huntress87. Frankie kissing Will during a friendly sparring match comes from that fic as well. I really love the idea of Frankie being the one to make the first move. 
> 
> **Note--I have a revised Year 2 scenario of Frankie & Will getting together in my fic "Giving Up"
> 
> Frankie outing the relationship in front of everyone came from "Secret" by MIssThang616 in response to a prompt from me.
> 
> Will's reaction to their break up and Frankie's relationship with Jake were from my fic "After the Break up"
> 
> Katherine was featured in my fic "Katherine" Gail was featured in my fic "The Year of the Mole"
> 
> Will's proposal was seen in my fic "Scenes at the End"


End file.
